COAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1920, Page 5

COAL.

A BRIGHTER OUTLOOK, LEVY TROUBLE SETTLED, STATE jptfERS AT WORK. . TARANAKI SHORTAGE ACUTE. The coal situation is brighter. The State miners worked yesterday, and two of the three northern mines were working. The State miners received the Premier's ultimatum, but no action was taken.

It is reported from Greymouth that the Broken Hill levy trouble has been settled. From another source comes a statement by the secretary uf the Miners' Federation that it is over this levy question, and not the treatment of conscientious objectors, that the "irritation" policy of striking has been adopted, thjjs indicating that the stated reason for discontent has been removed.

Mr. Massey stated in the House yesterday that he was hopeful that the Pukemiro (Waikato) men would return to work to-day, but a message from Auckland indicates that no settlement has been reached.

The state of the coal supply in Taranaki is acute, according to information given to a Daily Hews reporter -last evening by the New Plymouth: representative of the Wellington Coal Committee. Stocks are pretty well exhausted, and in view of the troublous state of the' industry it is not possible to predict when relief may ibe expected. Owing to the shortage of coal consumers of gas in New Plymouth are asked to economise as much as possible, pending the arrival of supplies of coal, which are now expected from Wellington by rail. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. ANSWER TO STATE MINERS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The coal situation was reviewed in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Replying to questions put by Mr. H. E. Holland (Labor Leader) with regard to the position at the State, Pukemiro, and Taratu coal mines, Mr. Massey said he looked very carefully into the dispute at the State mines yesterday, and he was informed by the Railway Department that there was plenty of accommodation on the train on which the men refused to travel unless allowed to ride in a first-class carriage, The information supplied to him showed there were 100 miners on the train, and there was seating accommodation for 112. There was no need for the men to stand, and if the second-class seating accommodation was not sufficient he would be quite prepared to authorise another secondclass carriage being put on. With regard to Pukemiro, Mr. Massey was hopeful that the dispute had been settled, and that the men would return to work to-morrow. He would inquire into the statements made by Mr. Holland regarding Taratu, but he could not imagine anything was seriously the mat* ter there. LEVY TROUBLE SETTLED. ANOTHER TRAIN DIFFICULTY. Greymoutli, .Last Night. The secretary of the State Miners' Union (Mr. Duggan) has received a telegram from the Prime Minister to the effect that if the miners did not resume work within 'three days, and if work when resumed were not carried on with "reasonable expedition," all operations would cease until further notice, and the mines in the meantime : would' remain closed. The Miners' Union to-day considered Mr. Massey's ultimatum, and decided to take no action. The State mines were working to-Hay as usual It, is announced that the dispute over the Broken Hill levy has been settled satisfactorily to the Union. The Union complains that in to-day'** miners' train seventeen men had to stand on carriage platforms, which they were prevented from doing on Tuesday owing *o the . wet weather. Had these men to-day demanded seats in firstclass accommodation, which to-day was locked, they would have had' to be thrown open to them. WHY THEY STRIKE. THE BROKEN HILL LEVY. Wellington, Last Night, The statement was made a few days ago that the State miners intended to pursue an "irritation" policy by striking for several days in each fortnight, and it has been assumed that the men have been actuated by a desire to compel the Government to restore civil rights to i military shirkers, who have been convicted and disfranchised for ten years. -In conversation with a reporter today, Mr. J. Arbuckle (secretary of the Miners' Federation) stated that the question of the treatment accorded to conscientious objectors had nothing to do with the fortnightly strikes at the State mine. Although the whole of the miners were dissatisfied over the treatment of conscientious objectors, and while in future something might be done on their behalf, at the present time the men in the State mine were striking periodically as a protest against the management continuing to employ men who refused to contribute to the Broken Hill strike levy. Recently men who had been engaged on some surface work at the State mine, and who had been paying the Broken Hill levy, had been dismissed, while others who had been employed on the same work, but who hail not paid the levy, were kept on. "The men who refuse to pay the Broken Hill levy receive all concessions that other men obtain," added Mr. Arbuckle, "but they, will not pay their dues. The other men object to working with men who won't pay their dues, and they simply strike as a protest."

POSITION IN THE NORTH. THE PUKEMIRO TROUBLE. Auckland, Last Night. A full day was Worked to-day by the men at the Extended mine at Hiuitly and at the Rotowaru mine, but the Pukemiro Qoal Company's mine is still idle. The Union objects to the company's proposal that Mgine-drivers should tat*

the option of joining the Huntly or the Auckland Engine-drivers' Unions, instead of remaining members of the Miners' Union. The miners met yesterday, and subsequently a deputation waited on the mine manager, and said the men would resume to-morrow if the matter were referred to the Disputes •Committee. \

The manager communicated with the head office in Auckland, and wag instructed to decline the request. "We insist that engine-drivers shall be permitted to sever their connection with the Miners' Union," said the managing director for the company, "otherwise the safety of the mine is endangered so long as the engine-drivers are at the dictation oi tkg jsw?****?